Guidance

England European Social Fund Programme Supporting Local Growth 2019

Updated 28 November 2023

European Social Fund Investment – an introduction

Welcome to the 2019 edition of “Supporting Local Growth” for the European Social Fund (ESF) programme in England. ESF in England contributes to local growth by increasing labour market participation, promoting social inclusion and developing the skills of the potential and existing workforce. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is the Managing Authority for the programme.

Since March 2015 the current ESF programme has been supporting projects across the country. At the end of August 2019 £2.05bn of European Union (EU) funding had been allocated to over 400 projects.

As part of the Government’s overall growth activity, ESF is delivered with a range of partners, including other Government Departments and bodies across public, private and third sectors. EU funds require national co-financing from either public or private sources.

ESF in England works with four national Co-Financing Organisations (CFOs):

• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

• Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)

• Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)

• National Lottery Community Fund through their Building Better Opportunities programme (BBO).

Each of England’s 38 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas has developed strategies to ensure funding focuses on local needs. These strategies inform the calls for funding in each area that are published on GOV.UK by the Managing Authority and all ESF CFO tendering opportunities in each area.

ESF must only be used where there is a demonstrable need; for example, where there is market failure or where ESF will add value to and not duplicate existing nationally funded provision.

The programme contributes to policies to increase the employment rate by increasing the numbers of unemployed and economically inactive people entering sustainable jobs. Ensuring a strong focus on those at a disadvantage in the labour market helps increase social inclusion. It also supports efforts to reduce the gender employment gap by ensuring an appropriate proportion of participants are women, and tackles youth unemployment in areas where the rate is particularly high. Where an activity isn’t covered by national funding, an ESF-funded project can provide valuable support to these groups.

The programme also aims to develop a skilled and adaptable workforce and to increase productivity. By improving access to lifelong learning for all, ESF support ranges from helping people tackle basic skills needs through to developing intermediate and higher levels skills that they and their employers need.

Within this booklet we showcase a range of projects to highlight the wide range of activities the programme delivers to people across England and what is being achieved, referenced by the LEP areas. Because of the Government’s guarantee for ESF funding to continue for the whole of the programme period, projects can continue to be agreed in local areas and individuals can continue to benefit from the support they need.

This is because in July 2018 the Government provided a guarantee that as well as continuing to fund all current ESF projects after Brexit, it will also continue to sign and provide funding for new ESF projects after Brexit under the current programme timeline.

A full list of projects funded can be found on the ESIF useful resources page of the programme website on GOV.UK.

ESF funding opportunities are published on GOV.UK through an interactive and fully searchable ‘funding finder’ tool; or through tendering opportunities published by ESF CFOs.

For each of the projects featured in this booklet the amount of funding shown is the EU element of the total project value. The amount shown is matched by public or private domestic funding. For BBO programme projects the amount of funding shown is the total project funding including match funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. It is not possible to show funding amounts for specific HMPPS projects due to the nature of their delivery model and so these projects are simply referenced ‘HMPPS’.

Working with Partners

ESF can add value to local areas by bringing together partners and services, allowing project participants to access valuable advice and support that meets their needs. The three projects below are examples of how by working through a range of partners and agencies, participants are being supported to overcome barriers to the labour market and gain new skills and confidence to move them closer to and into employment.

Action Towards Inclusion - £11.5m EU & BBO - York, North Yorkshire and East Riding

Action Towards Inclusion is managed by Your Consortium across York, North Yorkshire and the East Riding, and comprises a partnership of 50+ organisations. These organisations ‘connect’ with people in local communities who are furthest away from work and training. Local charities and voluntary organisations within the partnership have demonstrated their effectiveness in supporting almost 1900 of those who are the most distant from work, training and volunteering. Support helps adults overcome physical, psychological, financial and skills-related barriers and progress towards employment, training, education and job-search activities.

Strive in Hertfordshire - £3.9m EU & BBO- Hertfordshire

Strive in Hertfordshire offers support for people with complex barriers to employment, who may have been through previous unsuccessful interventions to support them into employment, volunteering or education. To date, mentors have worked with 630 participants to identify their barriers and support their transition into sustainable employment, volunteering, and/or further education.

Hubs located throughout Hertfordshire bring together different organisations to improve signposting and create an informal, unintimidating atmosphere. A wide range of subjects are offered from horticulture and crafts to dealing with issues of anxiety.

New Leaf- £10.6 million EU & BBO - Cheshire and Warrington

New Leaf brings together a diverse range of 30 partners from across Warrington and Cheshire, including local authorities, learning providers, charities, social landlords and disability support networks.

The project’s clients have their own professional mentor, trained to build positive relationships that are focused on their needs and strengths. Bespoke plans support clients to explore and identify personal barriers to enable them to achieve agreed goals, re-engage with mainstream services, and ultimately secure and maintain employment. To date over 3300 participants have received support from the project.

“For over a decade I’ve suffered from severe anxiety. My condition had become so debilitating that I was completely housebound, I even struggled to let my daughters leave the house to go to school.

I really couldn’t see a positive future for my family, let alone myself, until a friend gave me a leaflet advertising a confidence course New Leaf were running locally. Since then my New Leaf mentor has gone above and beyond to support me, always there to give reassuring nudges and to help if I have any problems or worries. New Leaf has provided me with lots of new skills and qualifications, but most importantly it’s enabled me to start looking for work and to enjoy my life again.

Thanks to New Leaf I now know that I can do anything that I put my mind to and I can’t wait to get back to work.” Emma, New Leaf participant

Working with Employers

ESF projects work with local industry and employers, to determine skills gaps and offer provision that fills those gaps. Employers also highlight where opportunities exist for employment and work experience. The projects below show examples of how this approach brings together employers and the local workforce.

Love London Working - £7.5m EU funding - London

Love London Working is an unprecedented partnership of 13 Social Housing Providers based in London. To date Employment Support Officers have helped over 4600 participants to progress into work by providing individualised support for their needs.

The project works with the long-term unemployed to address their barriers to work including providing financial advice and digital training and support to increase confidence. To encourage long-term job outcomes, in-work support is also provided after a participant has found employment.

Partner organisations include mental health trusts, schools, third sector support services and community centres. The programme also has its own brokerage service with links to a wide range of employers enabling the customers to have pre-employment support tailored to the job roles.

Game Changer - £2.6m EU funding - Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Game Changer employs personal ‘navigators’ who work with young people to find a career they feel passionate about and signpost them to support and training they need to get there.

Working with a network of industry partners means participants are offered taster days, placements, training courses and work experience to help them discover a career path. Game Changer have engaged with 696 people to date, with 661 receiving direct support from the project to gain formal, nationally-recognised qualifications.

Building Futures - £1.2m EU & BBO - Buckinghamshire

The Building Futures project brings together eight partners to change the lives of adults and young people across Buckinghamshire.

The project aims to increase confidence and skills in participants, whilst also providing a link between participants and employers to facilitate work experience.

Almost 450 participants have been supported with information and training such as CV writing and interview techniques, English language, childcare and advice on financial management. It has a particular focus on those who are long-term unemployed and from workless households and families, those aged over 50 who are long-term unemployed, and people with learning difficulties, disabilities or long-term physical or mental health issues.

Building Better Opportunities - £2.8m EU & BBO - Sheffield City Region

Working alongside major employers in the region, the Building Better Opportunities programme enables trained therapists and employment specialists to provide expert advice and support to those who are furthest away from employment.

The project provides holistic support to people who are unemployed or economically inactive, with a specific focus on those whose complex needs put them most at risk of social exclusion.

A range of support is on offer to boost wellbeing and job skills, run by experts and people who have experienced being unemployed themselves. The project matches skilled candidates to suitable vacancies and provides on-the-job training. Employers can benefit from a range of training, and advice on promoting health and wellbeing in their existing workforce. The project has provided support to almost 630 people to date.

Individualised job preparation support

Individualised support, including one to one mentoring or information, advice and guidance, is used effectively to help people navigate the services already available to them, and to gain job-searching skills like interview techniques and CV-writing.

This type of personalised support helps to remove barriers to gaining employment or accessing domestic programmes and can continue to help sustain employment after that person has been hired. The following projects demonstrate how ESF is making a difference to people with a whole range of support needs and the difference that support is making.

Building Bridges - £3.9m EU & BBO - Swindon and Wiltshire

The Building Bridges programme is a partnership of local organisations who are experts at supporting people and equipping them with the skills and confidence they need to move forward.

Each participant has a keyworker who works with them as a mentor, helping them to access support from across the partnership as necessary. These mentors can also work with family members, carers, key workers or other people supporting the participant.

Individual support plans could include developing physical and mental wellbeing, accessing debt and financial advice, volunteering support and help with issues such as transport and childcare.

To date the project has helped over 1000 disadvantaged local residents who were at risk of social exclusion.

Langley House Trust - EU & HMPPS - Worcestershire Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire

Langley House Trust have significant experience of working with offenders struggling with gambling and debt. The project delivers specialist sessions for offenders with significant gambling and debt issues and can support them with accommodation.

To date, 102 people have undergone an initial debt assessment, and had a personalized debt plan created.
Participants work with their mentors to tackle debt and are offered ongoing support to ensure their debt plan objectives are met. Mentors are able to contact debtors and agree re-payment plans on behalf of the offenders they are working with. Langley House Trust also offers regular group training sessions to the offenders’ Case Managers and develops toolkits for debt and gambling advice.

MOVE - £2.1m EU & BBO - Greater Lincolnshire

Through the MOVE project, advisors offer one to one support to help participants identify their passions and ambitions, and plan to achieve suitable roles. Participants have access to a large range of training and qualifications, while employability support includes CV writing, help with applications and practice interviews.

The programme can also help participants to develop their skills and experiences through practical activities such as volunteering and continues to support participants after they have started work, volunteering or training.

MOVE has so far supported over 660 participants, with over 100 of those moving into employment.

Bridges - £5.8m - EU & BBO - North East

The Bridges project aims to improve an individual’s confidence and their life. A dedicated support worker provides confidential counselling and bespoke advice on personal finances and employability skills, such as CV and interview preparation.

The project also links people with education and training opportunities to suit their needs and encourages people to gain qualifications to help them go further in life. Additional support can be provided to get people’s lives on track which can include providing work clothes and helping to cover the cost of travel to appointments which can be a serious barrier for the project’s participants.

Disadvantaged groups in need of practical support

Sometimes unemployed or inactive people need some practical support to enable them to be able to move towards employment. This might include information on CV preparation or interview techniques, but delivered in a way that enables these disadvantaged people to engage with the support. The following projects highlight how ESF can be used to engage disadvantaged groups with support that will get them ‘work-ready’.

Elevate Berkshire - £2.4m EU funding - Thames Valley Berkshire

Elevate Berkshire has worked with 16-24 year olds across the county who were unemployed or economically inactive.

Eight partner organisations provided a variety of tailored support to the young people to assist them towards meaningful employment, education or training. The project included information, advice and guidance, individualised support and supported employment, as well as ‘Get Into’ and ‘Get Started With’ programmes from the Prince’s Trust in partnership with different sectors such as retail, security and rail transport.

Almost 2400 young people received support and over 650 moved into education, employment or training.

Choices - £1.8m EU & BBO - Cumbria

Choices has brought together seven well respected voluntary and community organisations to support over 450 local residents who are facing multiple and complex barriers to employment.

They have a focus on supporting people with mental health issues, helping individuals to overcome financial and digital barriers to inclusion, and on providing work experience and employment opportunities in the third sector. Choices offer one-to-one support to help participants achieve their goals and enable them to move into education, training, job searching or employment. They also provide access to training and courses to help build up participant’s skills and knowledge, whilst also offering specialist advice on health and well-being, finances, benefits and improving IT skills.

People at risk of social exclusion

ESF often provides the first steps for people in moving towards employment, education or training when they are at risk of becoming socially excluded from society. These first steps might include improving mental health or supporting them in claiming the right benefits which enable them to progress on the next step of their journey towards employment. The projects below demonstrate how this support is delivered.

Opportunity and Change - £8.6m EU & BBO - D2N2

Opportunity and Change is led by the charity ‘Framework’ and delivered by a partnership of 15 community-based organisations. To date, the project has supported almost 900 of the most socially isolated and marginalised people in local communities to move closer towards employment, education and training. By engaging in a holistic range of one-to-one and group support, training and therapeutic interventions, individuals can broaden their social networks, increase self-confidence and motivation, improve health and wellbeing, learn new skills, and ultimately increase their employability.

Positive People - £5.1m EU & BBO - Heart of the South West

Positive People offers a lifeline to people who are not in work by helping build confidence and skills; and give them a sense of hope for the future.

The project gives people the opportunity to get involved in local communities, meet new people and have fun through a range of activities. Over 1200 participants have received help to identify their aspirations, master digital technology, search for jobs and access training.

Advice is offered on apprenticeships, self-employment, benefits and financial matters. The project also provides support for participants with personal development, daily life and medical conditions.

Changing Futures - £3.6m EU & BBO - Lancashire

The Changing Futures project is focussed on supporting people facing multiple and complex barriers to employment.

All participants are unemployed or economically inactive and are at high risk of social exclusion, such as people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, people with physical or mental health problems and people with learning difficulties.

Through the Changing Futures project, partners work with each participant as an individual. Transformational Coaches help each participant to understand their own abilities, skills and interests to identify ways to help address their multiple barriers to economic activity.

To date over 1000 people have received support from Changing Futures.

Change Your Tomorrow - £673,000 EU & BBO - Coast to Capital

Change Your Tomorrow helps people make a change in their life, whether that be getting into work or improving their health and wellbeing. 1-2-1 support enables people to improve their health and wellbeing, prepare for work or gain employability skills.

One initiative the project implemented was a ‘Chatter Café’ which was established as many of their participants are socially excluded and the only interaction they had during the week was with their 1-2-1 support officer.

The Chatter Café brings the cohort together to discuss, not only working related issues, but any topic they wish, which has resulted in some of the cohort organising their own activities. The Chatter Club has proved to be a very successful intervention for participant engagement.

Young people and the Youth Employment Initiative

ESF is being used to fund support which prepares young people for working life, in particular by reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET. Young people are also a priority as whilst youth unemployment is at a record low, they can lack the basic skills needed to enter the workforce. ESF also aims to contribute to continuing efforts to reduce child poverty in low income households.

The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) provides a separate European funding source that complements ESF funding in areas where there is higher youth unemployment. The following projects demonstrate the positive impact ESF is having in supporting young people from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds to overcome multiple barriers, gain new skills and move into or closer to employment and training.

Springboard - £7.6m EU funding - £5.4m EU & BBO - Humber

Springboard has worked with 20 delivery partners in a number of sectors in the city of Hull and across the Humber to provide support for over 3300 young people.

Participants were able to receive help with barriers to work such as travel, childcare costs and mental health issues, as well as training when required. Strong working relationships with Jobcentre Plus, alongside their partners’ own recruitment activities, resulted in a high level of referrals for this programme.

Due to the success of the initial stage of Springboard the project has been awarded an additional £5.4m ESF and BBO investment to deliver activities until October 2022. Support will include access to dedicated key-workers, plus specialist support for participants with disability or long term health conditions.

West of England Works - £5.8m EU & BBO - West of England

Led by Weston College, the West of England Works project creates a partnership of support that involves a range of voluntary and community organisations in the area.

Between them partners have specialist skills in working with people from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background, young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), carers, ex-offenders, those with disabilities or long term health issues and those with a history of substance misuse.

The project provides activities to tackle youth unemployment in areas where the risk of young people becoming NEET is high and the accessibility of support for NEETs is low. It has so far supported 1300 young people through a community-based support programme.

Ways to Work - £34m EU funding & YEI - Liverpool City Region

Through the Ways to Work project, inactive adults and young people are able to access a range of services, including high quality information, advice and guidance, transitional employment opportunities, and skills development.

The project works with a number of disadvantaged groups including: single parents; people from ethnic minorities; people with disabilities; women; and the over 50s. Participants are provided with 1-2-1 support and a personalised action plan.

They are able to access financial support to prepare them for work, and those further from the labour market also have access to work experience opportunities.

To date the project has provided support to almost 24,000 disadvantaged people and almost 9000 have gone into employment, education or training as a result.

Mental health, health conditions and disabilities

The effects of a disability, health or mental health condition can often make it harder for a person to find and sustain employment. Health conditions and disabilities can sometimes be a barrier to successful employment due to the day-to-day side effects of a condition. ESF is funding projects that work with participants with these issues to help them manage and often overcome their condition. Using a variety of approaches and activities that engage and motivate people, the following projects show how ESF is tackling the impacts of health issues.

Achieve North West Connect - EU & HMPPS - Manchester

The Achieve North West Connect project has so far supported 150 female offenders who face additional barriers to inclusion in society and have the most complex needs. These women are those that usually would not engage with other activities or with the prison regime generally and therefore present difficulties for rehabilitation.

Sessions with these women focus on improving self-esteem and confidence alongside providing a creative outlet. A five-week course is run by the dedicated case manager which focuses on building self-awareness and creative sessions which can include creating and decorating a self-care box, or creating a safe island and a positive affirmation canvas for their room.

The women can also be referred for mentoring which can look at their specific barriers in more detail and find solutions so they can look forward and plan for a more positive future.

Step Forward Tees Valley - £8.9m EU & BBO - Tees Valley

Step Forward Tees Valley supports local people to overcome barriers to work which can include physical or mental ill-health, a lack of self-confidence, a gap in skills, a conviction, or an addiction.

The project works with a range of partners to help people overcome their barriers and, when they are ready, take advantage of voluntary, training or employment possibilities. Step Forward Tees Valley also works with local employers to create new opportunities for participants to gain work experience.

To date over 2250 participants have engaged with the project and received support.

Positive Futures - £550,000 EU funding - Coventry and Warwickshire

Positive Futures supported over 600 individuals across wider Warwickshire including members of gangs, young lone parents, ex-offenders, people with learning difficulties and disabilities, drug and alcohol abusers and young people trapped in the cycle of deprivation associated with 3rd generational worklessness.

The project used a bespoke 5-step programme, moving young people into employment, including self-employment, and into education and apprenticeships. Activities have been delivered in the most deprived areas of North Warwickshire, sometimes on individual housing estates to ease any transport issues for learners.

The project was particularly successful in engaging with over 100 learners with a disability preventing them from entering the world of work.

Innovative approaches

ESF funding provides the opportunity for projects to deliver support using new and different approaches. This might be in the form of maximising technology to engage and train participants or developing innovative solutions to solving problems and improving services, like in the example below.

Let’s Get Working - £5.8m EU & BBO - South East

Let’s Get Working is challenging conventional provision by integrating with the NHS’s Social Prescribing movement, opening up new ways to reach people through their interactions with health, care and wellbeing services.

The project provides personalised employment support to people with disabilities and / or long term illness referred through social prescribing and other health services in East Sussex and Kent.

The project has concluded that referral to employment support through social prescribing (rather than welfare to work) routes shows great potential to deliver both labour market and wellbeing benefits for workless people with limiting conditions.

The success of the model appears closely related to one-to-one relationships, flexibility of support, absence of fixed timetables, and appropriateness of referrals with 65% of participants finding work after engaging with the project.

Community level funding opportunities

ESF supports projects that are working directly within local communities to meet specific needs, and often working with marginalised and socially excluded people. This approach also gives small, locally based organisations access to funding to provide support in the areas they are familiar with, as demonstrated in the following projects.

ESF Community Grants - £909,000 EU funding - Black Country

The Black Country ESF Community Grants project provides grants to small charities or not-for-profit community organisations to help unemployed people progress towards employment.

The project targets key groups that are disadvantaged in the workforce, such as the over 50s, women, people with disabilities or from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.

One organisation that received funding was Wildside Activity Centre in Wolverhampton for their ‘Step up for Conservation’ and ‘Helping nature – building skills’ projects. Various activities were aimed at increasing participant’s mental health, self-esteem and confidence, such as installing coir beds along the canal to protect the habitat, and making items to sell from the natural environment.

These activities are complimented with traditional employability support, like job search guidance, to help people find and sustain employment.

Community Grants - £645,000 EU funding - Oxfordshire

The ESF Community Grants programme in Oxfordshire was launched in October 2016, with a first call to local community groups, charities and not-for-profit organisations to apply for grant funding of between £5,000 and £50,000.

These community organisations were granted funding to support residents who are the most disadvantaged and least able to access local work opportunities. Collectively the projects have offered significant bespoke, varied, and in many cases life changing opportunities for hundreds of residents, many of whom have no employment skills, severe mental and other health difficulties, and poor English language skills, amongst other difficulties.

As at 31 March 2019 the project had awarded £552,000 to 19 local charities and community organisations.

Upskilling unemployed people

Sometimes a person’s barrier to work is a lack of relevant skills for the workplace. For example, they might lack digital skills, basic English and Maths qualifications or more industry-specific skills needed for the local area or self-employment. The following projects are providing this type of support and removing barriers to employment faced by people.

Opportunity Suffolk - £1.9m EU & BBO - New Anglia

The Opportunity Suffolk project’s programme is flexibly designed to help the long-term unemployed to develop the skills they need to move towards work. The programme is tailored specifically to individual needs, whatever and however complex they may be.

Mentors offer support in building and completing a personalised action plan for finding employment and overcoming individual barriers to it. As well as support in applying for jobs, participants receive help with building their motivation, confidence and English skills.

Over 600 participants have received support from the project to date.

Inspiring Enterprise - £1.5m EU & BBO - Enterprise M3

The Inspiring Enterprise project supports unemployed people and helps them develop the skills and confidence they need to build their own business or social enterprises.

To ensure the organisations are effective and sustainable, the project offers taster sessions, individual advice, small group workshop sessions, training days, meet-up clubs, helpful guides and much more. Sessions include anything from using social media for business to networking and confidence building.

Over 500 participants have benefited from mentoring to develop their ideas and business plans. Participants can also gain insight and inspiration from ‘Meet the Boss’ sessions run by experienced business owners.

Work Routes - £2.7m EU funding - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Work Routes offers one-to-one employment support to move people towards employment. This includes in-house skills training and interview practice, plus access to financial assistance with childcare, travel, and interview clothing. Each person’s barriers to employment are assessed, before a plan is agreed to overcome these. Where appropriate a support worker can also signpost an individual to other services to complement the support that they offer.

Positive Progressions - £882,354 EU & BBO - Leeds City Region

The Positive Progressions project supports parents or guardians to help them move closer and, in many cases, into employment, education or training.

Participants are assigned a dedicated keyworker and together they agree on a tailor-made Personal Development Plan. This plan identifies how they can improve confidence and resilience, and develop their skills and experience to help them to support themselves and their families.

Opportunities made possible through the project include enrolling on training courses, finding volunteering opportunities and support with finances and budgeting. Feedback from participants has been extremely positive, and many have stated that the keyworker gives them hope that they can change their lives and those of their families forever.

Enterprising People - £695,000 EU & BBO - South East Midlands

The Enterprising People project makes self-employment and social entrepreneurship achievable options for people who are 18 years old or over who are unemployed or economically inactive.

The almost 700 participants to date have been supported in developing, launching and sustaining effective organisations. As well as receiving help in assessing and refining the viability of the product or service, support is also available for legal requirements, managing cash flow, and sales and marketing for the business.

##Upskilling for SMEs and micro-businesses

Across England ESF projects are providing support to upskill existing employees. The aim of this support is to increase the knowledge and capabilities of the workforce, which encourages business growth. The following projects are working with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-businesses to assess skills gaps and to offer training solutions to their staff.

Building Skills and Growth - £235,000 EU funding - The Marches

To support the growth of SMEs and Micro businesses the Building Skills and Growth project focuses on providing them with an in-depth training needs analysis to identify skills requirements for both now and in the future.

This could be in the form of short bespoke courses, Higher Level apprenticeships or Higher Education student placements. If lower level skills and apprenticeships are identified the University will act as a brokerage service to other colleges and training providers.

Having launched in April 2019, the project is in its early stages, but by 2020 is aiming to have delivered skills advice through an organisational needs analysis to 45 SME’s within Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, including 35 SMEs having completed skills projects within their businesses.

Employment Hub - £2m EU funding - Leicester and Leicestershire

Leicester Employment Hub is a three-year business support project for SMEs in the Leicester and Leicestershire area run by Leicester City Council. The Hub undertakes a range of activities to drive up demand for the full range of national and local employment and training opportunities. It works directly with local businesses (especially SMEs) to increase demand for: Apprenticeships, Traineeships, Work experience, Internships, Volunteering and Work placement opportunities.

Skills Support for the Workforce - £4.5m EU funding - Dorset

Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) is a programme developed to upskill employees within SMEs.

SSW provides recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses to enhance employees’ skills, increase the competitiveness of businesses and boost local priorities economies: Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing (Aerospace, Defence & Marine technologies); Agri-tech; Food & Drink; Creative Industries (Silicon South); Environmental Goods & Services; Financial Services Sector.

The project’s support enabled one SME, Celebration Crackers, to offer training packages to employees in all departments, focussed on their individual needs. Following a detailed analysis of people’s personal and business objectives along with their existing skills levels, several training options were delivered; from personality profiling workshops to the whole company at its annual away day, to small group Excel training at the training provider’s premises, and a Leadership programme for Heads of Department to support them with the progression of their teams.

Support to access funding

In addition to providing support to individuals, ESF provides support to organisations in accessing ESF funding to maximise the opportunities that the funding presents for growth in England.

Civil Society Involvement - £373,240 EU funding - National

This programme is working to help the Third Sector understand and access EU funding for the remaining 2014-2020 programme to maximise the opportunities the funding presents. The project is also involved in helping to shape and influence future funds pending the UK’s departure from the EU.

Further Information

European Social Fund

The European Social Fund is one of the European Structural and Investment Funds. You can find more information on the ESIF Website.

Europa

The Europa website provides information on a wide range of European Union activities including ESF.

Twitter

Twitter is used by the Managing Authority to help communicate ESF opportunities and achievements. Follow us on Twitter: <strong@esif1420england</strong>.

LEP Network

The Local Enterprise Partnershipnetwork helps provide information about ESF and the other national and ESI Funds at the local level.

DWP

The Department for Work and Pensions acts as a Co-financing Organisation for projects that improve people’s employability.

ESFA

The ESFA acts as a Co-financing Organisation for projects that help people improve their skills.

HMPPS

HMPPS acts as a Co-Financing Organisation for projects that help offenders and ex-offenders move towards and into the labour market.

National Lottery Community Fund

National Lottery Community Fund acts as a Co-Financing Organisation for projects that tackle poverty, promote social inclusion and improve people’s employability.

Greater London Authority

The Greater London Authority is an Intermediate Body and a Co-Financing Organisation for ESIF projects in London.

ISBN 978-1-78659-103-6 England European Social Fund Programme 2014 - 2020